Metal iPhone 6c Rumored to Be Released in February 2016

There appears to be a number of rumors circulating about the web right now that have, collectively, speculated on Apple’s future iPhone plans.

First we saw an onslaught of early ‘iPhone 7’ prototypes, prior to a speculative report by Ming Chi Kuo of KGI Securities on its supposed release, and now we’re hearing something new, altogether — that the Cupertino tech giant’s purported ‘iPhone 6c” could be launching as early as February of next year.

The most recent report cites various unnamed sources, including certain industry insiders at Foxconn, who’ve been working on the iPhone 6c for quite some time now. According to these unnamed sources, the impending device is, in fact, the previously rumored and highly publicized 4-inch iPhone that we’ve been hearing was in the works for a while. The device will reportedly feature the tech giant’s own TouchID fingerprint scanner.

However, seeing as how it’d merely be a “C” class Apple device, the impending iPhone 6c wouldn’t boast a wide array of the best features, a la the 6s Plus, for instance. That being said, 3D Touch might not be part of the package when the device launches in February. The iPhone 6c is also said to come in a number of color options, just like the 5c, although the device itself will be made out of metal like the iPhone 6 and 6s.

Additionally, because this is a “C” class device from Apple, that would stipulate it at a slightly lower price point — the report claims somewhere in the $400-$500 ballpark, however that still remains to be seen.

If this ends up being the case, however, it leads us to the question of what Apple will do with the iPhone 6 and 5s, which are currently selling for roughly $550 and $450, respectively. When Apple introduced the iPhone 5c alongside the 5s, in 2013, the company completely stopped selling the iPhone 5, and the 5c, therefore, slid into the mid-range of Apple’s lineup — all while the iPhone 4s dominated the low-end tier.

In light of the rumored price, it would only be reasonable to assume that Apple might be considering keeping the iPhone 6 in the sub-$550/$600 spot, while just replacing the 5s with the 6c.

Still unknown is whether or not these rumors are to be believed. However, if ultimately the case, this would mean that a formal announcement should be expected in January, prior to a release sometime in February 2016.